Info
Now entering its 17th year of booking, Disney’s The Lion King has been in residence at the Lyceum Theatre since premiering in 1999. A musical adaptation of the hit 1994 Disney film, The Lion King was the highest grossing Broadway show of all time, repeatedly smashing box office records for fifteen years.
Directed and designed by Julie Taymor, The Lion King is an awe-inspiring, spectacular journey through the African savannah, with more than forty actors working with large-scale puppets to bring a menagerie of jungle animals to live. Taymor’s stunning designs earned her an Olivier Award for Best Costume, with the production winning a massive six Tony Awards including Best Musical and Best Director.
Similarly to the film, The Lion King follows young cub Simba as he grows up with his family at Pride Rock. His father Mufasa rules the rock and the surrounding animals, ensuring that the entire kingdom runs smoothly, much to the disdain of his brother Scar. When Scar sets up both Simba and Mufasa in a tragic event, Simba is left to fend for himself, making unlikely friends with meerkat and warthog, Timone and Pumba. Back home, Pride Rock is being taken over by Scar and the hyenas, and Simba soon learns that the fate of the rock lies in his paws.
Featuring several songs from the original film by Elton John and Tim Rice, The Lion King includes the Academy Award-winning hit “Can You Feel the Love Tonight”, as well as “Circle of Life”, “Hakuna Matata”, “ Be Prepared” and “I Just Can’t Wait to Be King”, amongst new songs written for the stage.
Timetable
| DECEMBER 2017 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MO | TU | WE | THU | FR | SAT | SUN |
| 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm | 3:30 pm |
| 7:30 pm | 7:30 pm | 7:30 pm | 7:30 pm | 9:30 pm | 7:30 pm | 8:30 pm |
News
The Lyceum Theatre has welcomed more than 10 million people to The Lion King since it opened in 1999. The production has delighted audiences for over a decade with its dazzling costumes and puppetry, breaking box office records along the way. It also happens to be one of celebrities’ favourite shows to see in London, and many famous faces have been seen in the Lyceum stalls over the years. Here’s a look back at some of The Lion King‘s famous guests:
- The Prime Minister David Cameron and his wife, Samantha, attended the tenth anniversary of The Lion King in London in 2009.
- Former UK First Lady Cherie Blair saw the show on the same night.
- Also attending the anniversary was James Earl Jones, who provided the voice for the role of Mufasa in the original Disney film. He was appearing in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof in the West End at the time and was joined by fellow cast members Phylicia Rashad, Adrian Lester, and Sanaa Lathan.
- TV stylist Gok Wan made it along to the anniversary too, and found no one in the cast in need of a makeover given the fantastic comments.
- Former cast members also made it to the gala, including singer Javine Hylton, Vanessa White of the girl group The Saturdays, and rapper Master Shortie.
- Rounding out the anniversary celebrations were comedian Justin Lee Collins, singer Beverley Knight, TV house hunter Phil Spencer, and model Lisa Snowdon.
- Michelle Obama took daughters Sasha and Malia along to The Lion King during a visit to London in 2009. Dad Barack was tending to affairs back in Washington.
- Tom Daley celebrated his bronze medal in diving after the Olympics by seeing the show in August.
Cast
George Asprey
Scar
Place of Birth: London, England
Training: London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
Shaun Escoffery
Mufasa
Place of Birth: East London, England
Training: Barking College of Performing Arts
Brown Lindiwe Mkhize
Rafiki
Place of Birth: Durban, South Africa
Training: MBongem Ngemas Academy
